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Vedic vs vidic weddings

Last week I posted about the 'Pagan roots of Christian Weddings', to show how conquering Christians discredited Pagan wedding customs as primitive and uncivilized while the same customs they used as their own. As a result many modern christian ceremonies are polished versions of Pagan customs. For the people, it created a sense of loss in their history.

It is not only in the Pagan culture that such a 'loss in history' has happened.

In India too. For eg. traditional Indian weddings were called Vedic weddings. It represents a time of Vedic civilization. Later on, it was imposed on by a religion called Brahmanism as a result of a series of migrant cults. When India became a democracy, its Constitution created a religion called Hinduism to include in it everything; both the Vedic as well as brahmanic traditions. Because of this huge mix-up in the contemporary India it is difficult to separate between the two. And Hinduism or Brahmanism is taking a huge advantage of this. And now where is this advantage felt than in weddings and marriage.

There are huge distinctions in the wedding and marriage customs between the Vedic and the Hindu/ Brahmanic traditions.

Vedic weddings on top of what I have mentioned above were simple, humanistic and less expensive. Here are some highlights of the Vedic Weddings.

VAIDIC Weddings

Hindu or brahmanic weddings have ceremonies per religious instructions dictated by Brahmins or priests or by whatever name the Hindu god-men are known in different parts of India. They take place in temples, halls or homes. Being based on priestly instructions they can be called VAIDIC weddings.

Here are some highlights of VAIDIC weddings

Not concerned about the couple's welfare

In Vedic weddings, the welfare of the man and the woman entering into marriage is last in the priority list. Their match making is made through horoscope and caste/religious status and not on the basis of mutual interest or compatibility. Marriage is a retinue of rituals decided by archaic fundamentalist ideologies of the priest-class that are only concerned about moneymaking for their survival. The couples do not enjoy any freedom as individuals, cannot decide how they conduct the business of their own lives or that of their own children. Eg. the couple has to produce male child through killing female children if the need arises.

Damn expensive

Every religious ritual is damn expensive. Very few realises that the huge spending brings no return to them but only improves the priests lifestyle.

In Kerala, Vaidic weddings had no place in the past. Wedding customs were socio-culturally and historically decided and officiated by family elders, brahmins having no role. It generally happened in brides' residence. Now things are changing for the worse. Number of people who think if not officiated by god-men, weddings have no sanctity, is on the rise. In Guruvayoor a temple, there are days when more than 150 weddings take place at one muhoortham. According to god-mens' jargon, muthoortham is an auspicious time that lasts only for a fraction of a second. So, how can 150 weddings take place at the same muhoortham? It has happened many times that in the rush and confusion wrong couples got wedded there. In the case of celebrity weddings, brides have failed to reach anywhere near the groom on the poopandal to get wedded. Still many, flock to these temples to get married, because the priest dictate so. But alas most weddings end up in divorce in the following month or months.

Hierarchical not human

News of tragic girl-murders committed by close family members, even mothers are coming in the media. These are girls who happen to fall in love with a guy in another castes or religion. Men are also becoming victims to such shameful killings honored as honor-killing. The brutality is based on religious fundamentalism that wedding is strictly a matter of caste or religion. Hinduism is not the only religions that indulge in such honor-killings.

Uma thanks a lot for reading my post. That the essentially reasonable old is getting shoved off in the ritualistic and unreasonable propaganda for the new or god is my point. Yes, they are two entirely different systems.

Soham you are very true, about the chaos. Last time when I went to Kerala, I happened to attend a wedding. I was seated in front of the raised mandnpam where the poojary and other godmen were solemnly placed. Good

Then when the ceremony was on, a bunch of photographers, hired ones and a lot others holding even cellphones swarmed to the front to create a human wall between the ceremony and the array of guests. I looked at the family elders. Not even a small finger I saw being raised by them against those camera scavengers, even from the elderly women.

But I was determined that I did not come to see their stinking ass but the ceremony.

I got up and asked them to move to side so that the people are seeing not their ass.

It was easy, they all cleared up. See nobody is even bothered about the created chaos.

Yes, u are right the Christian weddings are not conducted in that manner.

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